Northwest History. State History. Counterfeiting Courts Alienations Statistics. 1935

COULEE LAND
OWNERS LOSE
COURT FIGHT
Land-owners at the Grand
Coulee dam today were summing up their losses following
the decision of a federal court,
jury that the 1101.63 acres in
question at the dam site were
worth only $1896 more than
the original government appraisal. The award was
$17,339.
The total amount the five defendants. Sam J. Seaton, William
Rath, Eva D. Burdin, Continental
Land company and Julius Johnson,
had hoped to collect amounted to $5,000,000.
A crew of "experts" had been
hired for a period of several days
to testify as to the value of the
land as a dam site. The opinion
of the court that the government
owned the bed of the river caused
all this testimony to be thrown
out. It was held that without the
river bed the land was worthless
as a dam site.
$50 PER DAY
The testimony of these various
"experts" was believed to have
cost the defendants approximately
$50 a day. A large corps of lawyers, cost of a transcript of testimony and gathering of evidence
were added to the expense of the
15-day lawsuit.
The greatest difference in the
jury verdict and the governmental
appraisal was $1190 in the Seaton
property. Jury award was $8492,
as compared to the government
appraisal of $7302.
The Julius Johnson property
stood at $624.
Burdin, from jury, $4456; government, $4175.
Rath, from jury, $2507; government, $2132.
Continental, from jury, $1261;
government, $1211.

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COULEE LAND
OWNERS LOSE
COURT FIGHT
Land-owners at the Grand
Coulee dam today were summing up their losses following
the decision of a federal court,
jury that the 1101.63 acres in
question at the dam site were
worth only $1896 more than
the original government appraisal. The award was
$17,339.
The total amount the five defendants. Sam J. Seaton, William
Rath, Eva D. Burdin, Continental
Land company and Julius Johnson,
had hoped to collect amounted to $5,000,000.
A crew of "experts" had been
hired for a period of several days
to testify as to the value of the
land as a dam site. The opinion
of the court that the government
owned the bed of the river caused
all this testimony to be thrown
out. It was held that without the
river bed the land was worthless
as a dam site.
$50 PER DAY
The testimony of these various
"experts" was believed to have
cost the defendants approximately
$50 a day. A large corps of lawyers, cost of a transcript of testimony and gathering of evidence
were added to the expense of the
15-day lawsuit.
The greatest difference in the
jury verdict and the governmental
appraisal was $1190 in the Seaton
property. Jury award was $8492,
as compared to the government
appraisal of $7302.
The Julius Johnson property
stood at $624.
Burdin, from jury, $4456; government, $4175.
Rath, from jury, $2507; government, $2132.
Continental, from jury, $1261;
government, $1211.